Five Provincial Chairs of Congress Attend New Central Committee Meeting; Balayar and Shahi Absent

March 23, Kathmandu – Following the House of Representatives election on March 4, the Nepali Congress central committee meeting is currently underway at the central office in Sanepa. Many officials and members from the outgoing central committee led by Sher Bahadur Deuba have not recognized the new central committee, chosen under Gagan Thapa’s leadership during the special convention.

At that time, a majority of district and provincial committee chairs had not accepted the special convention. However, after the Election Commission granted official recognition to the committee selected by the convention, Thapa led the Congress into the election under that leadership. A petition challenging the Election Commission’s decision is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court.

In this context, tensions within the Congress party are expected to intensify after the election. While the new committee elected at the special convention is holding central committee meetings, news has emerged that supporters of the old leadership, including Dr. Shekhar Koirala’s faction, are preparing to convene a meeting of the previous committee.

Amid this backdrop, most provincial chairs previously aligned with the old leadership have openly supported the new central committee. To date, five of the seven provincial chairs have openly backed the new committee by participating in the central committee meeting and expressing their views.

What Did Each Provincial Chair Say?

Bagmati Province Chair Indra Bahadur Baniya, who is also the chief minister of Bagmati Province and known for his ties to the old leadership, attended the new central committee meeting.

“We were probably in opposition during the special convention,” he stated during the meeting. “But in the March 4 election, the new leadership did not hesitate to give tickets to leaders who had opposed the special convention, such as Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakashsharan Mahat, Minendra Rijal, and Kishor Singh Rathore.” He emphasized that it is no longer necessary to prolong disputes post-election.

He also urged Chair Thapa to engage in dialogue with the opposing faction. “Chairperson should communicate with the other side and create an environment to withdraw the court case. Everyone should unite and move forward toward the 15th general convention,” Baniya said.

According to Baniya, the responsibility of uniting everyone now lies with the new chairperson Thapa.

Similarly, Madhesh Province Chair Krishna Prasad Yadav, who is also seen as close to the old leadership, stated that the entire Madhesh stands behind the new chairperson Thapa. During the central committee meeting, he said, “I hope the enthusiasm with which the special convention was held will continue as the chairperson moves forward. I will stand firmly with you. Everyone must unite for the 15th general convention to lead the party into a new phase.”

Koshi Province Chair Uddhav Thapa recently expressed that it is not appropriate for Chair Gagan Thapa to resign at this time. During a meeting chaired by Vice Chair Bishwoprakash Sharma a few days ago, he noted that moving forward under the new committee’s leadership is the only viable option.

“Internal party disputes are not unusual, but wasting time by disputing the new leadership is not right,” Koshi Chair Uddhav Thapa said.

Likewise, Gandaki Province Chair Sukraraj Sharma and Lumbini Province Chair Amarsingh Pun have consistently supported Chair Thapa since the special convention.

While five provincial chairs have participated and expressed their positions at the new central committee meeting, Karnali Province Chair Lalit Jung Shahi and Sudurpaschim Province Chair Bir Bahadur Balayar were both absent from the meeting.